The European Union’s planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 is set to be watered down, according to senior figures in the European Parliament, in a move that is likely to trigger fierce opposition from environmental campaigners.
The decision, which is expected to be outlined by the European Commission this week in Strasbourg, would mark a significant retreat from one of the central planks of the EU’s Green Deal. Campaigners have warned that any dilution of the ban would amount to a “gutting” of the bloc’s climate ambitions for transport.
Under existing legislation agreed in 2022, all new cars sold in the EU from 2035 must produce zero CO₂ emissions, effectively banning petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles. However, Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party group, said the outright ban on combustion engines would be softened.
“The technology ban on combustion engines is off the table,” Weber told Germany’s Bild newspaper. “All engines currently manufactured in Germany can therefore continue to be produced and sold.”
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